1. Field of the General Inventive Concept
The present general inventive concept relates to a developing device and an image forming apparatus including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses print an image on a recording medium by irradiating light that is modulated to correspond to image information, onto a photoconductor in order to form an electrostatic latent image on a surface of the photoconductor, supplying toner to the electrostatic latent image in order to develop the electrostatic latent image into a visible toner image, and transferring and fixing the toner image to the recording medium. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a developing device containing toner.
The photoconductor and the toner may be provided in the form of a cartridge, which is referred to as a “developing device”. When the toner contained in the developing device is completely consumed, the developing device is detached from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and a new developing device is mounted in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The developing device may include a toner retaining unit and a developing unit. The toner retaining unit and the developing unit are separated from each other by an isolation film until they are mounted in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Before being mounted in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the toner retaining unit and the developing unit are connected to each other by removing the isolation film. When the isolation film is removed, unless the developing device is properly assembled, toner can leak out of the developing device.